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• Private GROUP TOUR (COSTS) is one hour long for this Judd Paper and Neighborhood walking tour. Also a one hour indoor presentation can be given.
• A free public tour comes up every five years.
• A self-tour is available for anyone using the maps and text seen below. – LOCATION

The Judd Paper (Gateway City Arts) is at 92 to 96 Race Street. The John K Judd founded Judd Paper in 1883 in Holyoke. At first they were on Main Street but in 1890 they moved to Race Street. John Judd continue as president until his death in 1929. (FINDAGRAVE) A massive fire destroyed the Judd on March 4 1921. They rebuilt quickly. The company still exist to this date – see LINK.

Judd was one of the many paper distributors around Holyoke. LIST

Outdoor Stop 1 – Canal Walk

Read about the Canal Walk area. Also read about the Lyman Mills and area. One additional building to point out is the Cubit. It houses the HCC Culinary Arts Institute in tandem with MGM. On the top two floors is the Cubit Lofts. On the lowest level is the Cubit Co-Works Space.

Outdoor Stop 2 – Main Street

Armour Provision

In 1915 the Armour Co. was in front and the Burnham Ware House behind the railroad cut. At the corner of Middle and Main was the Burnham Grist Mill with its corner also cut off. Cyrus Burnham ran the mills.

At 77 Main Street was the Hotel Lawler.

In 1949, The Holyoke Valve and Hydrant Company might have faced onto Main Street but it had a train that crossed into it northwest corner.

MAP

A new addition to the area is a NetZero home.

Outdoor Stop 3 – Depot Square

Here you break the area into quadrants. To the northeast corner is the Hotel Jess also called the Perkins Block. This is a former hotel that is now going to be housing. The Hotel Jess is named after James Jess of Holyoke who was the owner from about 1900 to 1940s at least. His nephew William Jess ran the place and lived there for all those decades. James Jess lived at 41 Fairfield Avenue in Holyoke so he must have made a load of many on his ventures. The original owner was Levi Perkins who ran it as a store until his death in 1895. Levi Perkins is the nephew of Justin Perkins the Holyoke minister that went to Iran and then was buried in Rock Valley Cemetery.
This Levi Perkins called the building the Perkins Block and hence the name on the entablature.

Touching the Jess to its left was a Wylie Hardware at 7 Dwight Street.

To the northwest is the Holyoke House (Hamilton Hotel) that was a hotel that also housed the Holyoke Post Office and some stores.

To the southwest is small retail buildings. First at the corner was the Hadley Falls National Bank. Then was the Burditt Hardware.

To the southeast is the passenger and freight train stations. Over the tracks was a footbridge that was put in place in 1893 to connect Dwight and East Dwight Streets.

Sanborn map analysis of the Depot Square area:

Sanborn 1884 map where Parsons Hall is on the 3rd floor and the Holyoke House has ground floor stores such as boots jewelry hats bank toys millinery and more – post office in the back section of ground floor

Sanborn 1889 map

Sanborn 1895 map A and map B which has a note on the Carter Livery that it will be replaced by a large brick block

Sanborn 1915 map in 1913 the post office moved in back of the hotel – map B finally identifies the Hotel Jess

Outdoor Stop 4 – Sears Block

Parsons Hall is there with its bright red door. It was used as a town hall before 1874.

Indoor Stop 1 – Bistro / Famous Cafe

Indoor Stop 2 – Judd’s

Indoor Stop 3 – Devine Theater

Indoor Stop 4 – music hall

Sanborn map analysis of Judd Paper:

Sanborn 1915 map

Sanborn 1949 map

Sanborn 1956 map

American Tissue Mills

The Japanese Tissue Mills were on Crescent Street in Holyoke. They were the makers of crepe and tissue paper. One of their products was called the Crystal Crepe Decorating Paper.

Benjamin Franklin Perkins (1826-1900) and John Lewis Perkins (1865-1928) started the Japanese Tissue mills around Massachusetts. Those two also started the B F Perkins Mills. The Perkins firm was in Holyoke from 1873. The Japanese Tissue Mill started in 1899 and lasted under that name until 1920. The name was then changed to American Tissue Mills.

Earlier on this location on Crescent Street was were the Smith Wilson and Sears Paper Company was. (1895) They built three of the five original segments of the mill. Perkins expanded it to five and later added a somewhat joined double building. Even earlier than that the Merrick Lumber Yard had one of its many buildings here.

The American Tissue Mills in Holyoke ads.

The company would disband in 1953.

Across Crescent Street is the Holyoke Warehouse and Machinery Company.

Sanborn map analysis:

Sanborn 1884 map

Sanborn 1889 map

Sanborn 1895 map

Sanborn 1915 map

Sanborn 1949 map

Sanborn 1956 map – map B

Movie Theaters of Holyoke

The Star Theater at 147 High Street is a former Nickelodeon Era theater that lasted from September 17 1908 to 1918. It was in the Craft’s Building on its ground floor. For a short time it was at 344 High Street. It was owned by Theater Eastern Amusement.

Sanborn map analysis:

Sanborn 1895 map

Sanborn 1915 map shows the “Picture Show” note and they entered from 145 and 147.

Sanborn 1956 map

The Berkshire Fine Spinning Mill had many mills.

It mill number 4 was at the very end of the first level canal.

made in 1923 by Farr Alpaca

bought by Berkshire in 1939

used by AmPad in 1980s

Sanborn 1915 map shows a totally empty lot

Sanborn 1949 map as a cotton yarn mill

Sanborn 1956 map

111-115 High

Sanborn map analysis:

Sanborn 1884 map it is 4 stories and has a couple of saloons here

Sanborn 1915 map

Sanborn 1949 map has the entire first floor being one store and a paint store at that

Highlights on the remainder of High Street.

Gingras’ Block at 45 to 49 High Street

Doyle’s Block at 50 to 52 High Street

Frank Octo was at 63 to 75 High Street. He sold parlor stoves.

Corde’s Building at 83 to 85 High Street

Sanborn 1895 map for Octo Block

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435 to 439 High Street was a block called the O’Neil Block. It is where the Cuban Market is now and is a good starting point. This was a three story building. This was the Red Men’s Hall for the Improved Order of the Red Men. In 1900, there were a multitude of other fraternal groups that used this building. One such group was the Catholic Order of the Foresters.

Coughlin’s Block at 401 High Street

Sullivan and Wesely at 488 to 494 High

Shea’s Block at 515 and 518 High

In 1900 also the Caledonia Benefit Club meets here. Likewise, the Ladies’ Catholic Benevolent Society.

Sanborn map analysis:

Sanborn 1884 map

Sanborn 1895 map

Sanborn 1915 map shows it as a 4 floor building with store fronts

map B

Sanborn 1949 map

Sanborn 1956 map

The Pottin and Kinney Block is at 348-356 High Street.

In 1907 it is the Johnson Book Store with a parent company in Springfield.

By 1930 it had become the Jacobson Block.

That block is now two separate modern blocks.

As for firms at that location, there was the Booth Meat Company at 354 High Street.

Sanborn map analysis:

Sanborn 1884 map

Sanborn 1889 map shows three 4 floor buildings in a row

Sanborn 1895 map

Sanborn 1915 map shows three 4 floor buildings in a row

Sanborn 1949 map shows a 4 floor building with a stone faced facade

Sanborn 1956 map shows that it was built in 1955 and is one floor for two separate buildings

The Pease Building at 349-355 High Street has historically been three one floor buildings in a row. In 1922, it is being called the Isenburg Building.

In 1920 there is the Hatch Cloak firm at 349 High and the Kelton Meat Market at 355.

From at least 1922 to 1927 Holyoke City Market was at 355 High Street.

Sanborn map analysis:

Sanborn 1884 map nothing there

Sanborn 1889 map

Sanborn 1895 map

Sanborn 1915 map shows a one floor structure there

Sanborn 1949 map shows a two floor structure there

Sanborn 1956 map shows a two floor structure there

Pictures of the Gates on Northampton Street for Entrance for those Driving Northward into Mountain Park.

Pictures of the Gates on Northampton Street for Entrance for those Driving Southward into Mountain Park.

Whiting Street Reservoir after the Hurricane of August 18 and 19 1955

• mains from Ashley and McLean breeched at corner of Beech and Northampton Streets
• White Reservoir berm collapsed
• Intake Reservoir filled with sediment
• Carmody Reservoir had the southeast corner of its embankment washed away
• Manhan was under construction so not much happened
• Whiting Street had $55,000 in damage to the berm
• Ashley had damaged roads, culverts, and guard rails
• Bray Reservoir Dam breeched and damages estimated at $30,000